VEHICLE-LOCATION SYSTEM FOR AN AUTOMATED VEHICLE

• US 20170060135A1
• Filed: 08/28/2015
• Published: 03/02/2017
• Est. Priority Date: 08/28/2015
• Status: Abandoned Application

• Current Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Original Assignee: Delphi Technologies, Inc. (BorgWarner Incorporated)
• Inventors: PENDLETON, NATHAN A., LAUR, MICHAEL H., WIESKAMP, JONATHAN L.
• Application Number:
  US14/838,762
• Publication Number:
  US 20170060135A1
• Time in Patent Office: Days
• US Class Current: 1/1
• CPC Class Codes: G01S 1/00 Beacons or beacon systems transmitting signals having a characteristic or characteristics capable of being detected by non-directional receivers and defining directions, positions, or position lines fixed relatively to the beacon transmitters; Receivers co-operating therewith position fixing by co-ordinating a plurality of determinations of direction or position lines G01S5/00
• CPC Class Codes: G05D 1/0234 using optical markers or beacons optical beacons per se G01S1/70

Abstract

A system to determine a vehicle-location of an automated vehicle includes a light-source, a sensor, and a controller. The light-source is located at a light-location that is observable from a roadway. The light emitted by the light-source is modulated to broadcast the light-location of the light-source. The sensor is mounted on a vehicle. The sensor is operable to detect the light in order to receive the light-location and determine a direction of the light relative to the vehicle and/or the roadway. The controller is configured to determine a vehicle-location of the vehicle based on the direction and the light-location.

Claims

1. A system to determine a vehicle-location of an automated vehicle, said system comprising:

a light-source located at a light-location that is observable from a roadway, wherein light emitted by the light-source is modulated to broadcast the light-location of the light-source;

a sensor mounted on a vehicle, said sensor operable to detect the light in order to receive the light-location and determine a direction of the light relative to the vehicle; and

a controller configured to determine a vehicle-location of the vehicle based on the direction and the light-location.

2. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light is characterized as infrared-light.

3. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light-location is specified by global positioning system coordinates (GPS coordinates) of the light-source.

4. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the sensor includes an array of light-detectors, each of the light-detectors is operable to detect modulation of the light and output a signal indicative of the light-location.

5. The system in accordance with claim 4, wherein the controller is configured to determine the direction based on which of the light-detectors is receiving the light.

6. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the light-location includes a height of the light-source above the roadway, the direction includes an elevation-angle, and the controller is configured to determine a distance from the sensor to the light-source based on the height and the elevation-angle.

7. The system in accordance with claim 1, wherein the vehicle is equipped to indicate to the controller a travel-distance between a first-location and a second-location, and the controller is configured to determine a first-direction to the light-source from the first-location and a second-direction to the light-source from the second-location, and the controller is configured to determine a distance from the sensor to the light-source based on the travel-distance, the first-direction, and the second-direction.

8. A vehicle-system to determine a vehicle-location of an automated vehicle, said vehicle-system comprising:

a sensor mounted on a vehicle, said sensor operable to detect light from a light-source located at a light-location that is observable by the sensor, wherein the light emitted by the light-source is modulated to broadcast the light-location of the light-source, said sensor operable to receive the light-location and determine a direction of the light relative to the vehicle; and

a controller configured to determine a vehicle-location of the vehicle based on the direction and the light-location.